writing – Page 79 – Andrew Careaga

Friday Five: Thoughts on Steve Almond’s ‘Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow’

Why Steve Almond’s new book about the craft of writing is worth a read.

Cover image of the book "Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow," by Steve Almond.

I’ve read my share of books about writing in my time, and most of them have given me at least a nugget or two of wisdom or inspiration. A new entry to the craft genre by Steve Almond, Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow: A DIY Manual for the Construction of Stories, which came out in April, is one of the best I’ve read in a while.

If you’re a writer, you should read this book. Here are five reasons why:

#1000WordsofSummer starts June 1

Thousands of writers the world over plan to take part in Jami Attenberg‘s two-week writing project, 1,000 Words of Summer (or, if hashtags are your thing, #1000WordsofSummer). The big write-a-thon starts this Saturday, June 1.

This marks the seventh year Jami has offered this project to the writing community, and this year, for the first time, I was planning to be one of those thousand-word-a-day scribblers. Alas, some life issues have interfered, so I won’t be able to join the mass writing event when it begins this Saturday, June 1. (As John Lennon put it, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”) I plan to join in spirit, and hope to make up for my absence with a two-week writing journey later this summer.